Review of European Studies; Vol. 5, No. 4; 2013 ISSN 1918-7173 E-ISSN 1918-7181 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 120 The Virtual Museum in Educational Practice Maria Kampouropoulou 1 , Persa Fokiali 2 , Ioanna Efstathiou 1 & Efstathios Stefos 1 1 Department of Primary Education, University of the Aegean, Rhodes, Greece 2 Department of Pre-school Education and Educational Design, University of the Aegean, Rhodes, Greece Correspondence: Ioanna Efstathiou, Department of Primary Education, University of the Aegean, Rhodes, Greece. Tel: 30-2241-071-566. E-mail: iefsta@aegean.gr Received: June 12, 2013 Accepted: July 25, 2013 Online Published: August 20, 2013 doi:10.5539/res.v5n4p120 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/res.v5n4p120 Abstract The educational role and social contribution of the Museums are achieved by increasing their communication with each social group and their extroversion cultural roles. Τhey can also offer exchanges of experiences by encouraging students’ audience. Because of the general world upheavals, the social contribution of the Museums has changed. The goal of this study is to appoint the students’ views of a virtual educational Popular Culture Museum. In this context, a research in the third grade of junior High school in Ialyssos, Rhodes, was carried out during the school year 2012-2013. After participating in a school project concerning a construction of an educational virtual Museum, one hundred (100) students took part in the research and answered a questionnaire before and after the teaching intervention. In order to extract the research results, we used statistics software SPSS v.17 and SPAD v. 4.5, offered by the Department Education in the University of the Aegean. Keywords: art, experiential education, sustainable development, virtual museum 1. Introduction Current educational trends suggest the connection between school knowledge and children’s experiences with the situations, conditions and circumstances of everyday life. This conception means new approaching methods of knowledge. Experimental learning approach is the modern pedagogical challenge. It offers the students an active role, based on educational interaction, initiative and creativity. It also emphasizes the participatory aspect in courses, turning students and teachers to co-creators during the educational process. It is mainly implemented through educational action plans (projects) within student’s methodical involvement in order to convert their own studies into an interesting topic. Giving students acting ability on issues from his/her experiences, needs and interests, not only we provide knowledge that is “essentially beneficial and actually educational” (Raptis, 1983), but, we also strengthen learning availability (Birbili, 2005). 2. Method The effective educational interventations should ensure the kind of education children are interested in, responding to their interests and be attractive to them. Propably there is nothing we can learn without personal motivation to do it (Rogers, 1957), except in conjuction with our experiences (Georgopoulos et. al., 2009). The new research data is focused not only in knowledge itself, but in the process of its acquisition. It supports teaching models such as experimental approach based on the needs and interests of children through peer communication relationships and involves all team members of the classroom. Teaching is a process in which both teachers and students interact and involve actively. The relationships that develop between the students are equally important, too (Kampouropoulou et al., 2003). We know that if we really want to help children to discover the world around, we should provide them opportunities for experiences by using the appropriate materials, organize activities in an appropriate social atmosphere. These experiences should become “the start point for all kind of education” (Dewey, 1941). Experiential addresses children’s individual experiences as educational material and gives them the chance to produce more knowledge compared to the traditional way if education (Dewey, 1938, 1998). The procedure of integrating experiential situations in school life and mutating in teaching activities, implements under an equal communicative relationship between educator and children (Chrysafidis, 2000). Meanwhile teachers become coordinators and help children to discover knowledge, emphasizing in their participatory aspect in order to become with the students co-creators in the learning process. Experiential learning approach is mainly